The Interplay between High Hemoglobin Concentration and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Rising Health Concern | ||||
| The Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine | ||||
| Article 126, Volume 100, Issue 1, July 2025, Page 3429-3436 PDF (529.95 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejhm.2025.445877 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasing globally and represents a significant liver health challenge. Concurrently, elevated hemoglobin concentration (HBC) has emerged as a health concern due to its potential to increase hepatic workload and contribute to liver pathology. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between high hemoglobin levels and the development of NAFLD. Patients and Methods: At Misr University for Science and Technology Teaching Hospital, 330 patients suspected of NAFLD were evaluated clinically. Diagnosis included abdominal ultrasound to assess hepatic steatosis and elastography to determine liver stiffness and fibrosis. Blood samples were analyzed for hemoglobin, hematocrit (HTC), and NAFLD-related laboratory parameters, with insulin resistance assessed using the HOMA-IR method. Patients were classified into high (H-HBC) and normal (N-HBC) hemoglobin groups. Results: Of 330 patients, 223 had normal hemoglobin (N-HBC), while 107 had high hemoglobin (H-HBC). The H-HBC group demonstrated a significantly higher incidence of increased Hepatic Risk Index (HRI) and NAFLD Fibrosis Score (NFS). There was also a slight rise in patients with Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) above 36 in the H-HBC group. Statistical analysis revealed that higher HTC strongly predicted increased HRI, and high HBC was effective in identifying patients with HSI >36. A HOMA-IR threshold of 2.1 moderately identified patients with advanced (grades 3–4) fibrosis. Conclusion: Elevated HBC and HTC—routine laboratory tests—can help predict hepatic steatosis and fibrosis. A high HOMA-IR score reliably identifies patients with high-grade liver fibrosis. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| High Hemoglobin; Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; Health Concern | ||||
|
Statistics Article View: 72 PDF Download: 30 |
||||
